Audeze LCD-X Over Ear Open Back Headphone New 2021 Version Creator Package with Carry case Electronics

4.0 out of 5 stars

fantastic headphones

Lcd x headphones were everything I expected. The only reason for the 4 star rating is their price.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Not for everyone ! Transparent but lacks sense of space for me

Sounds transparent a bit different though compared to traditional cone based headphones. I didn’t find it to be bass heavy as some reviews suggest. Important to take a listen before you go for it.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great

Amazing headphone!!!

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Worth every penny!

I have been a headphone guy for the past several years, an audio guy for over four decades and a music lover since I was a child growing up in the 1960’s. The headphone craze began for me back in the later 90’s while working a second shift job because my wife and newborn would be sleeping when I arrived home and I was unable to immediately go to sleep but didn’t want to wake them. Over the years I have amassed a small “collection” of headphones, all good, but the LCD-X is INSANE!Right out of the box it is a terrific sounding headphone, the best sounding Audeze that I have heard out of the box. But like any headphone, it can benefit with a bit of EQ, if for no other reason than the fact that you can custom tailor the sound to your own preferred taste. Afterall, we don’t all hear the same way. It’s not hard to do.OK, how do they sound? WOW, they are crazy good. The BASS is tight and well controlled and can get down into the sub bass as far as I need it to go before it starts to mash my brain in. It’s plenty deep if not the type for a true bass head. As for the mids, I think the LCD-X does mids very well, with a soundstage that is expansive but maybe not the widest. I’d say it’s about average or maybe just a bit better than average. But the mid-range/upper end combine to produce a level of detail that I haven’t heard before. It’s as though I can hear different layers within the music and better identify the sounds within a track I have heard a hundred times before. I have caught myself exclaiming to no one in particular “WOW” just because I have heard details come from the mix which I had heard before but which I can more clearly define WHERE they are coming from. And sometimes this headphone tricks me into hearing things that seem to come from outside of the earcups. It’s a beautiful sounding headphone.I’ll warn you, they are heavy and if that is a concern then this isn’t likely to be your cup of tea. I was prepared for it because I have other Audeze headphones and it hasn’t been a deal breaker for me to this point. I have owned mine now for about two months. If you already own a pair of Audeze headphones you will already be aware of their significant weight and top level build quality. Audeze has changed their pads a bit. They are using a new, thinner foam material which is softer and it’s just fine, but I think the pair I have came with the non-leather pads and the texture on my ears is very different than the genuine leather pads I am used to.

5 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Price/performance incomparable. This can beats everything I have heard under $3000

Fantastic product from one of the most respected brands in the industry. High quality construction and amazing sound. The connecting cable included is not the quality it should be, so I replaced with Cardas Clear which dramatically improved the sound. If you are a demanding audiophile, expect to upgrade the cable. Overall highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars

If there’s an End-Game headphone: This will be it!

The Audeze LCD X 2021 are the BEST HEADPHONES FOR VALUE OF MONEY, Period! The Sounds coming from this headphone r the most truest to the music! It produces a common copy of the actual recording w/o any coloring to the music. If there’s a lot of bass in the recording, then these cans will produce you a lot of bass. If there’s little to less bass, then it’ll feed you little to less bass.It’s simply the best ALL-ROUNDER headphone, period! Every genre of music sounds like the recording: And because of this, it’s Excellent for Mixing/Mastering. If there’s an end-game headphone – The Audeze LCD X will be it.I didn’t think the Audeze LCD X could be any better but the 2021 version simply out-classed the older LCD X and def rivals the LCD 5.I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE 2021 AUDEZE LCD X!!!

6 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Upgrade over previous version.

Definitely an improvement, with a bit of weight loss and some actually decent tuning, making the LCD-X competitive with higher tier and more expensive cans. Their still the heaviest in my collection but are sonically weightier then most along with its better dynamics, instrument separation and sound stage. The combined upgrades including – upgraded earpads, lighter weight and better tuning + Fazor Phase tweaking, allow for more listening enjoyment without the need to EQ. I fully appreciate the upgrades and most highly recommended them as they have slightly edged-out my recently purchased Focal MG Pro as my personnel Top Tier.

5 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

I didn’t know music could sound so good

So I bought a HD599, HD6XX, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara, LCD 2 Classic, and these. I wanted to try out different sounding headphones at varying price points and stick with the ones that got the most emotional response from me and enjoyment.Off the bat, I thought “these LCD X better absolutely blow me away for me to want to spend over 1,000 on a headphone”. Well I can say after listening to all the headphones for a while, I am keeping the LCD X, because they absolutely blow me away. After hearing how good they sounded, I couldn’t imagine deciding to keep any of the others.The best way I can decide the sound, is that it sounds thick, and full. The bass is insane especially with XBass on my Hip DAC 3 (which is an excellent little amp by the way, and powers these no problem even on low gain). It sounds like subwoofers in my ears, and the craziest part is that when the bass is strong, everything else still comes through clear with no distortion, unlike the Edition XS, which had very nice bass but would distort pretty easily. The LCD X gets louder than comfortable for me and still doesn’t distort.In reviews online, I always hear about things like “soundstage” and “slam”. As Listened to all these headphones, I began to understand those terms. The Hifiman Edition XS I’d say had the largest sound stage, which a lot of people like. Things sounded airy and spacious. Apparently Hifiman is known for this. I thought it was really cool, but honestly prefer the more intimate soundstage of the LCD X. It sounds like I’m hearing the music exactly the way it was meant to be heard, and if songs sound really large because it was recorded that way, then that’s how I hear it. If a song is recorded in a way that everything is mashed together, that’s what I hear. The Hifiman sounded excellent in things like Jazz and Classical, but the large sound stage almost sounded artificial to me at times. Some things often sounded recessed or too far away.As far a slam, well I know what that means now. Listen to Hotel California by the eagles, and when those drum hits come in before the main drop to the song, you’ll know what slam means. These got it.Anyways I could talk about sound all day and how amazing these are. The other reason I chose them over all the others is build quality. When you get these, you first get this hard plastic case. You open them and find these basically all metal/aluminum headphones that just feel solid. The whole experience of opening the case and grabbing these feels premium. The Hifiman was just cheap and wobbly and plasticky feeling, just like the sennheisers. Some people say these are too heavy, but they must just have weak necks or already have poor posture and are hunching forward. They definitely have some weight, but are very comfortable. I wear them all day with no issues, but I sit straight and have head and neck support on my office chair.As a final note, as compared to the LCD 2 C: the LCD 2C for me was pretty great in a lot of the same ways, but the X just sounds so much better out of the box. If you are on a tight budget, the 2C can sound pretty close to the X if you EQ on your computer, but I like to use my phone and the hip DAC so I can listen around my house, and the X just sounds incredible without EQ. The 2C still sounds great, and if it’s all you hear then you’ll be fine with it but the X is definitely a step up and is worth the extra money for me.

14 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Damn.

Extremely fun headphone. EQ is a must since they sound pretty dark out of the box. They’re quite comfortable despite being pretty chonky. Soundstage and layering isn’t amazing on these like something from Hifiman, but it is extremely detailed and articulate, plus they won’t fall apart in a year. You’ll be able to pick up the subtlest sounds with ease. Amazing sub bass (exceptional dynamic range, descent amount of slam), crisp mids and treble. They’re slightly rolled off on treble which is nice for me since It makes longer listening sessions more enjoyable. I like to listen to a lot of busy tracks (mainly EDM/electronic). They sound pretty forward without being too much. Vocals and instruments sound natural (vocals to me sounded artifical on Sundaras and Anandas). These respond to EQ very well so you can tune them to your personal preference. One thing to note is that you will need an amp with some juice. I run these off of a Onkyo home theater receiver, which has plenty headroom. Tried them out with a JDS atom and Shiit magni heresy and they left a lot on the table compared to what I was able to get out with the Onkyo. Love these headphones very much. I’d compare them to the 2-C, but I’ve never listened to them. I also haven’t had any issues with the screws on the can to strap couple like some have had (blue Loctite if any issues) and the factory cable is very good as well. This headphone is not going to be everyone’s favorite, but it definitely checked the boxes for me. If instrument separation and soundstage are extremely important to you, I’d probably look for something else. I only have limited experience with different headphones, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However I’ve personally never listened to anything that made me so impressed every time I put them on. Oh big plus I forgot to mention. Audeze is located and manufactures their headphones here in the states. They offer a 3 year warranty on the drivers as well. I truly gave Hifiman a chance but when you get a defective unit out of the box it kind of leaves a bitter taste on the tongue.TLDR: amazing headphone, natural, articulate, and crisp. Slightly rolled off treble. Fantastic sub bass dynamics. Need a beefy amp. Cost a pretty penny, but worth it imo.

13 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Headphones for work and play!

Note: heavy but not uncomfortable.Long winded breakdown oh yeah! I use these headphones for mixing (at home) and also use them for listening to music or to watch movies. They are enjoyable even when single-ended! I would say for what they are advertised to do, they fill the role of mixing and tread a bit outside as a listening pair (mixing headphones and listening headphones are NOT the same). They don’t have a large Soundstage, but the stage given happens to be natural, not fake. Don’t confuse this with placement of actual staging, where the middle is a touch vague (for mixing I can still tell I’d the vocalist is centered or to a side) when used for games. The bass is the only ‘problem’, with the response being linear enough that if you add some with eq or use something like ifi’s true bass or xbass, you will be more than amused! The tonality is well balanced, with a noticeable dip at 3.7khz and a large cavity-like recess at about 9.56khz to 10khz. Those dips however, are not a problem for me, as adding too much at 3.7khz back can add some coloration (2db to 3db on Equalizer APO would be a safe range, with the latter as your maximum (q width of about 1 to 1.5)).Summary; this headphone is very enjoyable, and it’s weight is not a problem in the slightest since the weight is evenly distributed. The seal is good for glasses wearers, and the tonality is inoffensive. With some eq, you can find a sweetspot for 3.7khz to emphasize the already present texture to vocals, cymbals, or snare drums. The stage and overall ‘sound’ is natural, while adding detail galore, and being fun at the same time. And they are neutral enough to mix in for either the amateur or the pro. To me, this is my temporary endgame. I recommend these headphones whole heartedly, alongside a good clean dac and amp.

7 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Superb.

Terminal headphones. If you listen to a lot of music, just get them.

5.0 out of 5 stars

very cool and worth it headphones

i cant afford to buy them but i know theyre good10/10

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

For fine, precision, immersive listening

I spent some time listening to and comparing my current multiple conventional dynamic headphones, all with broadly similar sound, in the $99 to $350 price range. This activity inspired me to wonder what owning better headphones might be like.Starting with Ken Rockwell’s extensive catalog of headphone reviews, I expanded to read a lot of other reviews. I converged on a likely candidate that came up many times as a headphone of note, the Audeze LCD-X. It appears that the folks at Audeze put everything possible into this model to make it a “sweet spot” of their product line, selling at a not-so-outrageous price of $1,199.The Audeze LCD-X is Stereophile-rated Class A, and appears among the least expensive headphone products in that category. Their original review in Vol. 37 is sparkling in its praise and appreciation of the product.After hours of pondering (the price is a significant commitment), I clicked the button. When the Audeze LCD-X arrived in a few days, I noted that the set comes with its own gig-ready hard shell travel case, complete with metal corners. Inside the case, there is custom padding to cushion against drops and blows.The headphones themselves, although rated as heavy, don’t seem to me as heavy on my head. I chalk it up to many years lugging loaded-down camera bags (and the very comfortable head band). The pads are quite large enough to accommodate my ears, hence no ear pressure, hence wearing period can approach indefinite.The included cord is 2 meters, which doesn’t reach across the room from chair to equipment stand. However, many years ago I got an audiophile-grade headphone extension cable (stereo 1/4-inch male to 1/4-inch female) which works fine.So how do they sound driven by the headphone output of my Benchmark DAC-3 (also Stereophile Class A rated)?We’ve all experienced that cliché when auditioning new gear: “It was like listening to an entirely new recording. I heard things that I’d never heard before.”Well, it was like that, literally. Among the first tracks I played were off “Kind of Blue”. Here’s the studio ambience (faint echoes) that I’d never noticed before. Here’s each instrument clearly defined, separated, and realistic. Here are the saxophones sounding like real saxes. Here’s the spit of the trumpet. The cymbals ticking out the time. And so on.These headphones grip the sound. There is tremendous controlled bass drive, but also a sense of unlimited extension of the treble. On some orchestral music, I noticed a piccolo doubling up an octave, in all previous hearings just blended into the mix. You can take a complex mix and follow individual lines just like that.In summary, it’s a different category of headphone than the conventional dynamics I’ve lived with all these years. While these don’t obsolete loudspeakers, they do open up a new meaning to the phrase “close listening”, when it is desired to effortlessly perceive more details and nuances of the musical performance.

11 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent headphones in my inexperienced opinion

This is my first pair of high-end, audiophile headphones. I have tried driving them with the iFi hip dac, and they sound excellent. The bass boost function on the amp sounds absolutely incredible on these headphones, yes it is bass heavy sound but if you are into that, these headphones can handle it and sound unbelievable. No distortion, deep and fast bass while keeping the mids and highs perfectly clear.These headphones will run on literally anything and have plenty of volume. When I’m lazy I just plug them directly into my MacBook Pro (2021 16″ model) headphone jack. The experience is not quite as impressive as with the dedicated dac, but frankly hard to spot unless you are blasting loud bass or paying very close attention. I also tried them with a basic USB-C headphone dongle, and they sounded ok, again no issue with volume but bass was lacking.That said, these are open-back headphones with some sound leakage. These are designed for private listening in a quiet environment, and they absolutely shine in that context. They have some heft but it doesn’t impede comfort or wearability for me at all.

2 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Amazing Pair of Cans with Excellent Bass and Imaging

Ordered Used and as far as I can tell they seem almost brand new, no noticeable defects or anything. These seems extremely well built and durable as they are mostly metal, as for the sound I find it a bit dark but the elevated bass and clear vocals def makes me prefer it over both the dt1990 and my all time favorite hd600. The weight after a while is noticeable but the music totally just drags my attention away from the minor discomfort. Another minor gripe regarding the adjustment mechanism for the headband, while wearing and moving it does tend to slide and loosen a bit but I have yet to have it slide off my head lol. Overall I find these to be extremely capable when it comes to delivering high resolution sound (especially in the bass department lol) I own the senheiser hd600s & hd660s, beyerdynamic dt1990s and Hifiman Sundaras and I prefer the lcdx over any of those. I’ll try to update after a while in terms of durability etc. and possibly with more comparisons to higher end headphones.Very happy with purchase and company I purchased from. Got a flawless pair for a great price!Genres I Mostly listen to-Metal (Nu Metal,prog,symphonic)-old and Modern Rock- Classical/Orchestral- IndieStock Tuning for me is perfect for these genresPersonal Ranking;Lcdx>hd600>Sundara>dt1990>hd660s

3 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Amazing quality and sound, but SO heavy!

These headphones are beautifully crafted and sound amazing. The stage is kind of narrow but they offer exceptional clarity and are exciting and fun to listen to.I especially enjoy the low frequency slam these produce.The one mega detractor of the LCD-X is its mass: They are HEAVY.During my listening I found myself preferencing seating options with neck support.

4 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Holly mother of God!

This is the “best tuned” Audeze IMHO, it’s the closest to a Focal Clear MG in terms of neutrality and accuracy on the frequency response. However it contains a better wider and bigger soundstage.I must specify that the leather revised pads are more comfy and generate a more diffused detail retrieval with a more warm signature. While the protein pads have a more harsh presentation on the mid high treble with a minimal but noticeable decay on bass extension and slam/impact

3 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

BEST OF THE BEST

these new 2021 with Audeze’s eq on roon are amazing the best headphones ive ever heard and even better for electronic music. yes theres better but this is best price point to buy headphones at anything more and youre going to need expansive amps and dacs to make a difference. even though these have low impedance i still recommend a good amp for these. something like the Schiit audio asgard 3 is amazing for these.they are not heavy stop being a baby

5 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Perfection

Best headphones I own, absolutely hifi, bring out the best in music. Heavy, yes, but don’t let naysayers turn you off completely.

End game of headphones

Fantastic detail and sound stage. Impressive dynamics and frequency range. Comfortable and not as heavy as its perceived by many people. Can easily have it for a couple hours fine. Im pairing it with a Topping E50 and L50 stack, they are perfect for these cans. Is it worth the price? Probably not for casual listeners, if you want some of the best professional level detail retrieval, these are definitely the right choice.They feel and look high end- like they should.I talked to many people with LCD-X over 5 years old and have no problem with them, i guess time will tell how reliable these are.I heard Audeze had decent customer support, hopefully i never have to figure that out.

Excelentes audífonos

Excelentes audífonos y de igual calidad. Sólo no especifica en ningún lado el material del que están cubiertos los cojinetes.

Excelente audífono pero con errores importantes

Desde hace tiempo que quería incorporar el LCD-X a mi colección de audífonos, y debo decir que vale la pena, sin embargo, el producto tiene algunos contras significativos.La construcción se siente sólida, pero por la naturaleza de la fragilidad de los drivers Planar Magnetic, a la primera que se te caigan, se van a romper, esto no es un problema de Audeze como tal, sino de prácticamente cualquier audífono que utilice esta tecnología. Por otro lado, son considerablemente PESADOS, si lo que buscas es comodidad y relajarte mientras escuchas música, estos audífonos no son para ti, tienes que verlos como una herramienta de trabajo, pesan más/menos 600 gramos. El mecanismo de ajuste de banda es el punto más débil del audífono en mi opinión, se siente duro, pero por otro lado, no se queda fijo, es lo peor de los dos mundos, ni agradable al tacto, pero tampoco efectivo. Finalmente, las almohadillas están pegadas, y sí, se pueden cambiar, sin embargo, no es un proceso fácil como con otros modelos donde únicamente quitas y pones, aquí hay que hacer un trabajo un tanto artesanal de que queden bien pegadas, selladas, en la posición correcta, etc.Pasando al sonido, es muy bueno, el grave asimila el slam de un driver dinámico (Audeze comenta que el pegado de las almohadillas es por este objetivo), las frecuencias medias no tienen picos y el cuerpo se distribuye de manera uniforme, los agudos no son fatigantes, y contienen bastante detalle. La escena sonora es pequeña sin ser claustrofóbica, la imagen es buena pero he escuchado mejores (Hifiman Arya, Sennheiser HD 800S, Meze Elite, Focal Clear, etc.), la tonalidad es agradable pero tampoco se siente tan natural.¿Los recomendaría?, depende, si lo que buscas es uno de los mejores graves en un Planar Magnetic, o un audífono muy detallado y con presentación íntima, sí, son muy buenos.Por otro lado, si lo que buscas es un audífono con mejor relación precio/calidad, considero que los Ananda, o incluso ahora los Arya (pues los bajaron de precio), son más económicos, y tienen mejor rendimiento y comodidad. Y en un último escenario, si lo que buscas es tener solamente un audífono abierto que haga todo bien, los LCD-X te van a quedar debiendo, para eso te recomiendo los Focal Clear o los Ananda.Pareciese que el audífono no me gustó, pero sí, es muy bueno, es más que nada que cuando ya has escuchado tantas otras marcas y modelos de este segmento, te haces más exigente.

4 people found this helpful